Many portable electronic appliances include a camera and associated camera features in addition to another device or otherwise in addition to the appliance's primary design features. For example, a mobile phone may include a camera in addition to a cellular phone device. Cameras include sensors which are conventionally used as an exposure meter for determining how much light should fall on the photographic medium when taking a photograph.
These portable electronic appliances use portable power sources, such as a rechargeable battery. However, the battery power is a limited resource and it is important to conserve the power of the portable power source of these portable appliances. Other appliances are designed for reduced power consumption, for example in order to be more “green”. Generally, input/output (I/O) devices, such as an illuminated keyboard or a display screen of an electronic appliance, are principle consumers of power in portable electronic appliances and may quickly consume the power of the battery. Illuminated keyboards, display screens, and other similar visual devices enable a user to more easily utilize the visual device. Accordingly, there exists a need to balance the illumination of the visual display with efficient consumption of the limited battery resource. Adjusting the illumination levels of the visual display may help to conserve the power source.